Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino

Overview

Ratings summary

Brilliant

120

Good

160

Average

73

Poor

28

Awful

24

12
Traveller reviews from Holiday Watchdog

dated hotel

1

Awful

by manutdTirana

"i stayed there for 3 days in march and i have to say that the hotel is very old. we stayed in the cleopatra tower, the room was spacious but very very old. mostly like a 2 star hotel than a five star one. it was dirty and stinky all over the place, and to my opinion the hotel needs a reboot. if all the sheratons in the world were as bad as these one(i know they are not) i wouldnt stay in any."

Holiday details

Travel date: Mon 26th of March 2007

Very Swish!

4

Good

by VerityK

"We got a pretty good rate booking direct the hotel but not as good as we thought. Room was HUGE with a gigantic bed and nice Nile view from the balcony.

It had everything you'd expect from a top class hotel and didn't want for anything. Ate at the floating resturant on our first night which was great food and a very nice chilled out atmosphere. Spent an afternoon by the pool before catching our overnight train.

We'd decided to splash out and stay somewhere posh which was good. When we returned to Cairo after our trip down the Nile stayed in a much cheaper hotel and found that it still suited our needs.

If you are used to staying in 5* american hotels wherever you go then great, its the place for you. If like me you prefer somewhere with a bit of local character about it, then stay away as much cheaper and just a nice hotels to choose from.

Do go and have a cocktail in the bar at the Hyatt though as that was well worth the cost... great view!"

Holiday details

Travel date: Thu 22nd of March 2007

great stay

5

Brilliant

by ekHolland

"We had two Nile view rooms booked, one of the rooms was upgraded to a family suite with nileview. The normal room was allready big, the suite was hughe.We were in the nerftiti tower.
From the balcony's you had a lovely view over the nile.
Check in service was good, it took a long time to deliver our lugage. Breakfast is relatively expensive (for egypt), â¬ 12 in Arous el nil. The Aladin restaurant is really good, we went the first night but it was so good that we didn't even bother to go to a local restaurant the second night. It is also not expensive (lovely bread with meze was the best) and it was not busy.
We used black and white cabs, about LE 15-20 to get you anywhere in town. To the airport it is abou LE 60/â¬ 8) The state of some of the taxi's is however very, very bad.
Business center is ridiculous expensive."

Holiday details

Travel date: Wed 28th of February 2007

All round satisfactory, a few quibbles...

3

Average

by lamio01

"I booked through expedia for 3 females, 67, 40 & 13.
Arrived and was told our room had a double and they would put up a single bed (a bit hospital like). Room was clean tidy, spacious with side views of Nile and main road (corner room).
The bathroom had cracked tiles but clean and did not smell. The room carpet was OK, certainly not stained like the hallways are (6th floor) The card keys did stop working, all 3 !! The reception staff and concierge all helpful, they are not too knowledgable on other areas like Luxor trips etc but good enough. The restaurants are good, the japanese is slow and expensive. The Limo company on the ground floor by the door is very good, not expensive and always ask for Sami, he speaks the best English and is most helpful. The black and white taxi's (cairo local taxi) are just unbearable, dont bother getting into them, you have no idea if they run properly, whether he knows where he is going or if its going to blow up on you or not as each one stinks of petrol and they will always try and rip you off, pay a few quid extra and use the cars from the hotel. DO NOT go to the business centre in the hotel (nefertiti side) to use the internet ! it will cost you Â£3.60 for 15mins. They have a free wireless internet so bring a laptop.
Ummm.... There are no real negtives just niggles, the cleaners ask when u r going and tell you their days off so u give them a tip on the right day, the restaurant staff also crawl uncontrollably for tips. However no real trouble spots. All hotel areas spotless, this hotel is twin towers, Cleopatra and Nefertiti, Cleo is much older and does show the signs, Nef is the newer block that holds most of the restaurants and pretty bits, the towers are joined so its easy to walk through both and out of both entrances, however get the cars from Cleopatra entrance as the crappy taxis jump on you when you walk out the door at the Nef tower. One last thing, the hotel has its own orange sailed Falucca, beautiful boat you have to go on and dead cheap at Â£15 an hour, me and daughter went on it twice (seats 25 we had it to ourselves) , Ali is the old guy who will have a joke with you and tell you whos who and where they live along the nile."

Holiday details

Travel date: Sat 24th of February 2007

good hotel but not 5 star

4

Good

by sweatpea

"I read a lot of previous reviews before booking this hotel. I found the tip to book a room in the Nefertiti tower to be very useful.

The hotel certainly is not worthy of 5 star status however it is a good hotel. A map of the hotel would have been helpful as it was confusing trying to find the facilities.

The staff on the reception desk were helpful at all times.

The man who cleaned our room was very helpful when our room key suddenly stopped working. The bathroom was always clean but i agree with a previous reviewer who mentioned that the carpets were not vacuumed. I don't think ours was vacuumed at all during our stay. Beds were very comfortable though!

The food in Aladin restaurant was excellent. We don't usually eat meals (other than breakfast) in the hotel but it was so good we went twice! i cannot understand why one review said that the portions were small. I certainly disagree!! The staff were friendly and courteous and the live band in the evening was very good.
Views over the Nile were a bonus.

We had breakfast included in our room rate. i would recommend Arrous el Nil restaurant over the Tea Garden. In Arrous el Nil you had much more choice (especially in local specialities).

the hotel itself is a 20 minute walk from the Egyptian Museum and downtown attractions. The area in which it is situated is not great and there are no restaurants near by (except in the hotel).
You will get asked if you want a taxi as soon as you step outside the hotel. If you are polite but firm you can usually get away quite quickly. A tip we learned was to say "Yo Russki" when asked "where are you from?" -this usually got rid of anyone who wanted to provide us with a taxi or take us to any of their shops/restaurants. Apparently the Russians are perceived to be poor!!"

Holiday details

Travel date: Thu 1st of February 2007

Good place to stay

4

Good

by Aussie7leagueboots

"We stayed two times at the Sheraton Cairo in January 2007 - the first time for 5 nights and later in the month for 3 nights. We had read previous reviews and taking the advice of several travellers booked a room in the Nefertiti tower. The rooms both times were very clean and comparible to international hotels elsewhere. The only issue was a slight smell which rose up from the plumbing.

One big rip off is the charge of 10 Egyptian pounds for each tea bag or coffee satchet used in the room. You can buy a whole box of tea bags at inflated tourist prices for 10 pounds at a local shop.

The staff were all very friendly and we were able to get early check in both times. We enjoyed the food, especially at the Lebanese restaurant on the 2nd floor where there is also live traditional music and a belly dancer.

We found the location also quite convenient. Being winter we were able to walk to the Museum in around half an hour although crossing any road is a challenging experience. We also used the Metro which cost only one Egyptian pound with the Opera station about 10 minutes walk away. A taxi trip to the fantastic bazaar - Khan el-Khalili was 20 pounds."

Holiday details

Travel date: Sun 28th of January 2007

Bad rooms in the Cleopatra Tower

2

Poor

by kingbk

"My Wife and I stayed here for four nights and our experience was mixed. I will start with the positives, the service and location was great. The staff were very nice and courteous and always professional. It is located on the east side of the Nile, only a five minute drive from the Egyptian mueseum and downtown Cairo. On the negative side, rooms in the Cleopatra are filthy, or at lease our room was filthy. The carpet all the way from the elevator had staines as if the fire sprinklers went off at some point. After my wife got finished wiping down the furniture with two white towels they were black.. You couldn't sit on the furniture on the balcony because it was extremely dirty. The food was awful with the exception of the Japanese Restaurant on the lobby floor.
I would not stay here again. This was disapointing for a Sheraton. I hear that room in the Nefertiti tower are renovated, but i didn't get an opportunity to see them becuase they were sold out."

Holiday details

Travel date: Mon 22nd of January 2007

Good hotel, nice location

5

Brilliant

by CAWorldtraveler

"We stayed here for a night on the Club floor in Nefretiti Towers. They checked us in early (before noon after waiting for some time) and our rate permitted late check-out the following day. There is separate check-in at the club lounge for club floor guests on the 28th floor lounge. The Service at Club lounge is good (in general, all staff at all places in Egypt seem to multi-task, which is a little annoying for guests from the U.S., where you generally get the undivided attention of the person after you have waited for your turn - in Egypt they will continue to take calls and help others while they are serving you).

Spend the extra money and get a room with Nile river view. Our room was nice and we had amazing view of the Nile river, the Four Seasons and Hyatt and when it wasn't foggy/hazy, we could even see the Great pyramids of Giza (although at a distance).

Location is good for exploring attractions in the City. hotel cars are more expensive than regular taxis (although they are still reasonable for Western standards) but I would highly recommend organizing car with the hotel as they are new (generally Toyota Corolla comared to decades onld local taxis), do not smell of smoke and the driver generally speaks English.

We also did a Nile river cruise (email if you need any tips with that)."

Holiday details

Travel date: Sat 13th of January 2007

Very Nice Hotel

4

Good

by hotelstory

"Recommended but check the price.
We got the Sheraton Twin Towers for $65 but this was a special rate for my girlfriend. The room was clean and large with a very comfortable bed, decor was fine with a nice bathroom. I have stayed in the Sheraton Genoa Italy which is a 4 star and I would say that the 5 star Sheraton Twin Towers Cairo was not quite to that standard except for it's shiny plush grand foyer. One anomaly was the balcony that came with the room, it was uselessly tiny, ugly and not very clean. Breakfast wasn't included in our special price, fair enough, so we forked out $14 EACH for a sub-standard breakfast. It included horrible cheap cheese but what was even worse was they were serving spam in a 5 star hotel. Come on Sheraton get your act together. I stuck to muesli and tea. Avoid paying for this breakfast if you can. The staff were great - polite and helpful.
You need a taxi to go anywhere from this hotel but that would be the case for all hotels as all the sites are spread out.
Tips:
Don't reserve a room directly from hotels, you'll end up paying much more for the good hotels, use the internet or high street agents at home or in Egypt.
Don't hire taxis for the day unless you know you have a good deal. It is way too expensive. We used one guy who gave us a good deal to the Giza Pyramids wait for us there and take us back to Zamalek island for Â£50Egt. We then took his mobile number and used him on a day hire basis, he charged us Â£200Egt for a lot of driving and all the waiting he did. Hiring individual taxis would have cost us about Â£100Egt max. Then the next day, our last day, he ripped us off, he charged us Â£250Egt for less than half the driving (and no waiting) compared to the previous day. Â£60Egt was the most he should have charged us as he wasn't hired on a day basis but one trip did involve taking us to the airport which is a standard Â£25Egt. Too bad because his name and number would have been here if he had stayed reasonable.
On long trips smell the inside of the taxi if you can to make sure it is not leaking petrol fuel fumes into the cabin, if so, walk away. I was almost sick in one of them.
Taxis in Sharm El Shiek are double the price of Cairo. Negotiate hard."

Holiday details

Travel date: Mon 8th of January 2007

Good Hotel, Bad Rooms

4

Good

by Rocco2006

"I stayed at the Sheraton Cairo on June 2006, my experience in Egypt was outstanding, and the hotel on its public areas as the lobby or the restaurants is so nice. The buffet breakfast and the dinner were very good, also the Tea Garden Restaurant is so nice, You have a wide variety of restaurants to choose. The hotel is elegant and is located near of the Cairo Museum, but is better if you contact for services in the travel agency ( for Cairo Museum, Pyramids, Coptic Neighborhood etc), because Cairo streets are always crowded of cars (and sometimes are dangerous). The pool area is also nice and the view of the Nile River from some rooms is also nice. But the rooms are so old and really need maintenance, the bathroom of my room stinks and the furniture was a little bit old.
I think that this hotel is nice and elegant, but only in some specific areas, because rooms are not so good. But is always a good option in Egypt. You also have bank, travel agency and souvenir store. The hotel is not so near of the airport.
Special Thanks to one of the waitress of the Tea Garden Restaurant, Sarah that always was smiling and was so kind with us.
Is also a good idea to go walking (but very carefully because cars never stop) to see the Nile River.
In addition when you travel to Cairo consider this hotel as a good option for travelers.
You wonÂ´t repent of visiting Egypt."

Holiday details

Travel date: Tue 26th of December 2006

great hotel luxury amenities. staff not...

4

Good

by E.I CHADWICK

"great hotel luxury amenities. staff not very friendly.delightful breakfast and room. be aware. must have all reservation documents with you especially booking agents emergency phone number! had problem with reception acknowledging reservation until i contacted our agent and then the problem was sorted. some rooms have views of nile. handy location and tons of taxis at hand.would stay there again"

Holiday details

Travel date: Sun 27th of January 2008

Cairo is a stunning city, full of friend...

4

Good

by J Morrice

"Cairo is a stunning city, full of friendly, wonderful people.

Our first taste of it was late at night, coming from the airport to our hotel on the banks of the Nile in the centre of the city. Five lanes of traffic became 10 or 12, as drivers jostled for position, honking continuously and barging their way into every foot of road space.

It was 11 oâclock on a Thursday night and our guide said everybody was heading into town to relax and meet up with friends and family. When we made it to our hotel, we were greeted by armed guards and an arch at the front door to scan everyone going in.

The hotel was very opulent and we sat in the lounge sipping a beer while or guide booked us in and arranged for our luggage to be taken to our rooms - this was definitely not what we were used to! Our room was spacious, with an enormous bed and a balcony, which looked out over the Nile.

The bathroom was very modern and clean. By now it was dark and we could see a constant stream of boats lit up, with people partying on board. There were about 8 different restaurants in the hotel, serving different cuisines. Breakfast was held in the Garden Room and was an extensive buffet.

We only had dinner once in the hotel, in the Italian Restaurant, which looked out over the gardens and the river - very romantic. The food was not spectacular and be warned - a very average bottle of Chianti was Â£45. Every night we went to the piano bar where there was a live band. Most of the time we had the bar to ourselves.

I would thoroughly recommend this holiday to anyone who wants something a bit different. Beware of pressure to buy, in shops and from street-sellers - they are true professionals. Tipping seems to be obligatory and in the 4 days we were there, we spent Â£100 on tips alone.

Although the security does appear to be way over the top in order to protect the tourist industry, at all times, we felt very safe as your car is constantly checked by police and sniffer dogs - our tour operator, Operasabroad, said that there are 1 million tourist police in Cairo. Donât be scared to visit Cairo, you will be captivated.
"